Chaplain’s Corner – Love Does Not Envy

Feb6

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy…” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV).

In 1 Corinthians 13, after explaining that love is patient and kind, the Apostle Paul then goes on to list eight qualities that love is not. The first “anti-quality” of love is envy. Love does not envy.

We have probably all experienced envy. The range of the experience of envy is broad, from a light-hearted comment about wishing we had a new car like Tom’s, to a very bitter sense of envy that would cause us to allow harm to someone, such as the example in Genesis when Joseph’s brothers allowed him to be taken to Egypt as a slave because of their envy over his relationship with their father.

I know I used to experience envy very frequently, and still do sometimes if I am honest. I see someone with something I would like to have, or I see someone who has achieved something that I wish I could have achieved, and I wish it could be me. And thin people—well, I just don’t want to go there….

Besides the fact that envy is a waste of mental energy, makes us feel sorry for ourselves, and can drive us to some unhealthy behaviors, it is seen here as the opposite of love. Love does not envy. How can that be?

Envy is an unloving behavior because it is wishing for something that we don’t have, and for the most part implies that we wish that the other person did not have it. Even if we are not wishing ill of another person, it demonstrates discontent with our status which goes against the sovereignty of God. After all, envy is what put Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:18).

Maybe it’s easier to see how unloving envy is if we look at the opposite of envy. What if we were genuinely happy with what others have or have achieved? Love means wanting the best for someone. What if we were content with what God has intended for our life. Loving God means realizing in his sovereignty that His plan is best. The Apostle Paul addressed this in Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV) –

“11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

What is the antidote for envy? Thankfulness. What should we do when the feeling of envy arises within us? We should thank God for what we have and for His blessings and providence, and then ask Him to give us a desire to love others as we love ourselves.

In Christ,

Judy

 

Chaplain’s Corner – Love is Kind

Jan30

“Love is patient, love is kind”  1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV).

Last week we talked about how the action of patience or longsuffering demonstrates love; patience is not passively waiting. Likewise, demonstrating kindness is love in action. Like patience and love, kindness is also listed as an attribute of the fruit of the spirit. That means that it can only be properly exercised through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul tells us that God, in his infinite love and mercy, will raise us up to sit with Jesus in the heavenly places “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:7. And Paul instructs the Ephesian church to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

I love how the Bible often instructs us to replace one behavior with another; this is really the best recipe for making long-lasting change. It’s just hard to stop behaving a certain way without knowing what to do in its place. For example, in 2 Timothy 2:24, we are told that “…the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone.” So the instruction is to bestow blessings and generosity and graciousness, even when you feel you want to start or continue an argument over something. For example, we can be kind even when we are giving directions. Rather than saying “that’s not right” or “you can’t do that,” instead say “let me show you” or “here’s the way we do this here.” That comes across helpful or kind rather than argumentative or hostile. I must also note that our nonverbal communication is equally important in the showing of either kindness or rudeness.

In reading these passages, I then begin to equate kindness with grace, tenderness, forgiveness, and not being quarrelsome. In many ways, kindness can be thought of as courtesy, civility, and graciousness. Some adjectives used to describe “kind” behaviors according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary are sympathetic, helpful, forbearing, gentle, giving pleasure or relief, affectionate, and loving. Kindness is not just saying flattering things. Kindness is genuinely considering the other person’s well-being and taking action accordingly.

Two of the Mission’s Core Values are directly aligned with kindness: Radical Hospitality and Culture of Honor.  Four of the tenets of the Mission’s Code of Conduct also include elements of kindness: Communication, Confidentiality, Compassion, and Servanthood.

When we are kind to one another, we are displaying Christ-like love. We must be empowered, because in truth, we don’t always feel like being kind. Sometimes we are tired, in a hurry, or preoccupied. It’s really difficult to be kind to someone who has not been kind to us. But Jesus doesn’t give us any excuses for failure to be kind. In fact, he tells us to turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile (Matt 5:38-42).

Hopefully, we all have at least one role model we would think of when we think of these attributes. My mother was extolled for her kindness. She always had a smile and expressed concern for others. She was always gracious in her conversation, and she was genuine. It not only gives me pleasure to hear others praise her in this way, it also inspires me. I pray that you and I will be that role model for others.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Love is Patient

Jan23

“Love is patient, love is kind” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV).

Last week we began a series of devotions about love from 1 Corinthians 13. The scriptures tell us on more than one occasion that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love each other. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul tells us that the greatest of the spiritual gifts is love. But what is love really? How do we really love God and each other in the way that most emulates God’s love for us?

Starting in 1 Corinthians 13:4, Paul begins to enumerate the ways that we demonstrate love, starting with patience.  Another translation for patience is longsuffering.  Why did Paul have to put this characteristic first? Maybe so that we would be patient enough to suffer through all the other descriptions of love? I don’t know. I do know, though, that this one is challenging.

What are some of the situations that come to mind when you think of being patient?

  1. Waiting in line; waiting in traffic
  2. Waiting for someone to answer your call (as in, your estimated wait time is 52 minutes).
  3. Waiting for a raise or promotion; waiting for results from the doctor.
  4. Listening to someone who is longwinded, especially when the subject is not close to your heart, or worse, when you have heard it all before.
  5. Letting a child or someone you are teaching do whatever the thing is themselves, like work a math problem or tie their shoes, etc.
  6. Enduring a long illness, either yours or someone you care about.
  7. Enduring a season of misfortune, when it seems that nothing is going your way.
  8. Enduring a time of imprisonment.
  9. Enduring a time when you believe you have been treated unfairly.
  10. Enduring a time when others should be taking action and it appears that they are not.

What do we tend to do when we are waiting?

  1. Worry?
  2. Complain?
  3. Express displeasure, sarcasm, or rage?
  4. Try to take matters into our own hands?
  5. Entertain feelings of hopelessness and despair?
  6. Give up?

What does any of this have to do with love? Well, obviously none of these reactions have anything to do with love. These reactions reflect self-centeredness at best and lack of trust in God at worst. They are not a testimony of faith in Christ and putting God first, and they harm rather than help those around us.

These situations are typically visible to others, so our reactions may also be visible to others. The situations outlined above, and those like them, are actually opportunities to demonstrate our love of Christ, our trust in His infinite mercies. If we love others more than ourselves, we will actively care more about the impact we are having on those around us than on what the situation is doing to us, so we will use the experience to testify to the all-encompassing love of God. That is, we change our perspective away from our own needs and selfish desires, and we actively and productively and lovingly wait.

Here’s a scenario: You stopped at the grocery store on your way home from a long day at work. You are tired, and you have people at home waiting on you for dinner which you have to cook when you get home. There are only two checkout lines and both are very long.

  1. Reaction #1: You are mad because why didn’t some other responsible adult in your house go the store instead of you, so you tell everyone around you. You complain about the store, the service, your family. You tell everyone how tired you are. Or maybe you don’t verbalize anything, but you just stand there and feel sorry for yourself or dwell on how bad your feet hurt. When you finally get to the cashier, you let them have it (especially when they stop to chat with the bagger about how long it’s been since their last break when they should be ringing up your groceries (no, this has never happened to me). When you get home, you also tell everyone in your family about your horrible experience.

Result: You don’t feel any better. No one around you feels any better. That hour you just spent at the grocery shopping and in line is a wasted hour of your life. No one is any better off.

 Reaction #2: While standing in line, you thank God that you have money to buy groceries and a place nearby to shop and that they had what you are looking for. You say a prayer for the grocery employees. You look around at the others standing in line. Perhaps someone behind you looks more tired than you, so you swap places with them. You say a silent prayer for those around you for whatever they may be dealing with, because why else would anyone be in line at this time of day who didn’t have to. You strike up a conversation with those around you, trying to ease the time, make a friend, show concern or compassion. You greet the cashier and bagger with a smile and thank them for their help. When you get home, express joy at seeing everyone and ask about their day.

Result: You probably feel better than you would have. You have made a positive impact and maybe even given hope and encouragement to someone. You have lifted the spirits of the staff.

Being actively patient didn’t take any more time or any more energy, but the people around you have benefited from your presence and God has been glorified by your prayers. This is selfless love of others.

One more thing: in the list of situations above, some are more life-altering than others. Waiting in line for groceries is trivial compared to enduring an illness and/or long recovery period. However, every time of waiting is practice. We use the lesser situations to practice and prepare for the greater situations in life. Practice patience.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:13, 16: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief….But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Greatest of These Is Love

Jan16

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV).

When Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love God and love others, that gets my attention. When the apostle Paul says that of faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these is love, that gets my attention. The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is called the “love chapter.”  It was my Grandma’s favorite passage so I have read it for years. It is even more powerful when you realize the context. Paul has just written a powerful explanation of the spiritual gifts in the previous chapter, and he talks about how we are the body of Christ. This is all very significant teaching to a believer, but then he goes on to say in verse 1 of Chapter 13, “And now, I will show you THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY” and he begins to tell us of the importance of LOVE.

There’s a saying attributed to Teddy Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” I think this is what Paul is trying to tell us. Every single position here at Nashville Rescue Mission includes the role of influencing someone—guests, program participants, staff, peers, volunteers, managers. Sometimes you can influence through your position; however, that is never long-lasting. We may be able to influence through our knowledge, but that can easily be overturned by someone else with more or different knowledge.  What Teddy and the Apostle Paul are telling us is that when we first love those whom we serve or work alongside or live with, then everything else good is possible. God is love, and God is good, so when we love, we are most like God and have the ability to be and do the most good.

The English language does not do justice to the word “love.” Or maybe it’s just our American culture. We love everything. We love flowers, chocolate, and a good book (or at least I do). We love the Titans and the Predators (at least when they win). However, you can see that this term implies more of a feeling.  More accurately, love is an action, not a feeling.  The Greek language has at least four words for “love:” Eros (sexual love), philia (brotherly love and affection), storge (family love), and agape love. Agape love is the type of love that is described in 1 Corinthians, and is sometimes translated “charity.” It is a “self-giving love that loves without demanding or expecting repayment. It is a love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It gives because it loves; it does not love in order to receive. It has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another.” It’s easy to love chocolate; it’s not so easy to show agape love. Agape love is a spiritual love that we cannot have unless we have the Holy Spirit. Agape love is the supreme fruit of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is the love that Jesus displayed toward each of us.*

One big difference between gifts (plural) of the spirit and fruit (singular) of the spirit is this:

  1. Every believer has at least one of the gifts of the spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
  2. All believers possess all the dimensions of the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Therefore, as a believer, you possess this gift of agape love.  However, as believers, we must intentionally practice this gift and hone it as a skill in order for it to be visible in us by others. I will be using the next few Chaplain’s Corners to write more about this, and I encourage all of us to work hard to manifest agape, or charitable love toward others.

*Words in quotes from this reference: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-1Cr/1Cr-13.cfm

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices and Inclinations of the Heart

Jan9

“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven…. (praying to God) that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers” 1 Kings 8:22, 58 (ESV).

We all make choices every day. Some choices are conscious choices like where we will go out for lunch—McDonalds or Sonic. All other things being equal such as cost or distance, we may use a rational thinking process—which restaurant am I likely to get in and out faster so I will be back to work more quickly; or we may use  preference to choose—am I in the mood for French fries or tater tots? Other choices are subconscious such as the thinking patterns that run through our minds, but they are choices even though we do not consciously think about them that way.

We always make choices based on our inclinations. According to R.C. Sproul, “we always choose according to the strongest inclination, or desire, of the moment.” Sproul goes on to say, “…there are times when my desire to sin is greater than my desire to obey; when that happens, I sin. When my desire to obey is greater than my desire to sin, then at that moment, I refrain from sinning. My choices reveal more clearly and more certainly than anything else the level of my desire.”*

Understanding this is helpful to me as I think through my choices and decision-making each day. Like the Apostle Paul, I don’t always do what I know I should. How can I do better? I believe the key is to pray to the Holy Spirit to incline my heart toward pleasing God, to give me the desire to please him in every decision, whether it is what I think, what I say, or what I do. As a believer, I have the gift of the Holy Spirit as my counselor to help me with these matters, and I believe that praying to the Holy Spirit to incline my heart toward Him is what will allow me to use his power in the way that Jesus intended.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road: if we find ourselves at a point of temptation—to eat/drink/inhale/inject something that we know we should not, or to engage in a sexual activity that we know we should not, or to gossip or malign someone, or to lie, or to fly off the handle, or to tell or listen to something that is not wholesome (you get the idea), it is nearly impossible to make good on- the-spot choices without prior preparation. But if we have genuinely thought and prayed through these temptations in advance, then we are much more likely to make good decisions when the temptations occur, and to take the godly course of action. This isn’t just about not doing what is wrong. It is also about doing what is right.

In addition to praying, we must become informed through diligent Bible study about God and his will. We must keep our eyes on God. We must stay in relationship with Jesus. These disciplines help us to train our desires and inclinations in the right way so that in any moment of decision, our desire and inclination to do what is right is more likely to outweigh our desire to do what is sinful. This works in the most everyday situations, from what and how much I choose to eat and drink, to what I decide to watch on TV, to how I think about my supervisor or my coworker, to what I say about my supervisor or coworker. And of course it applies in greater decisions such as who I will marry, how I will raise my children, etc.

One other thing: as I mentioned before, as hard as we try we will still fail sometimes. So how does God view our failures? This is even more complicated because we observe that some people who are not believers seem to be so good and demonstrate successful decision making, while those we know to be believers seem to make bad decisions. This is where our motivation, the true desire of our heart, comes into play. We know that even when we desire to do good, sometimes we fail, just like the Apostle Paul. But when God is evaluating us, he is taking into account our motivation, our desires. So this means that believers who genuinely desire and make every effort to please God will please God even in their failures; and those who are not believers, no matter how “good” they are, will not be able to please God. As 1 Samuel 16:7a (ESV) puts it:  “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

The subject of the Chaplain’s Corner last week was “Resolutions,” which are typically big long-term goals. In order to be more successful with our resolutions we need to make the best daily choices, therefore:

  1. If you have not already, invite Jesus into your heart.
  2. Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you to change the desires of your heart; to incline your heart toward the things of God.
  3. Strengthen your practices of prayer, bible study, and meditation on the Scriptures.
  4. Be conscious that everything you think, do, and say is a choice and pray to make the godly choice.
  5. At the end of each day, evaluate how you did, repent of the bad decisions, and resolve to do better the next day, with the ongoing counsel of the Holy Spirit.

*Reference: The Meaning of Man’s Will, by R.C. Sproul

In Christ,

Judy

Painting

Jan5

Here are my latest paintings.

The covered bridge is in Woodstock, Vermont. After stopping to take the picture last October, my friend Wanda and I drove through the bridge right out that little road that is depicted there. Thanks to our friend Linda for insisting that we go to Woodstock.

The dog is our first Labrador, Buck. There will never be another like him. I wish I could have done him more justice, but it’s my first one of an animal and only my fifth painting ever. I’ll keep trying.

Chaplain’s Corner – Resolutions

Jan2

I love to make resolutions for the New Year; however, I’m not so good at keeping them.  For example, I gained 10 pounds last year rather than the 20 I had intended to lose. This was brought home to me this past week as I sat down to think through what I wanted to resolve for 2019. Sadly, I felt that I needed to just try again on the 2018 resolutions and maybe try harder. However, we all know that doesn’t work. I think that is why so many people I know have given up on making resolutions; realistically, why go to the trouble just to feel bad about it at the end of the year.

All that said, I think God is pleased when we are intentional about wanting to make changes for the better. In Lamentations 3:40, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah: “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord!” And in the New Testament, Paul says: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you” (Philippians 3:12-15).

So yes, I think that resolving to become more like Jesus is a worthy goal. However, it generally takes more than just resolving. To really make changes in our behaviors, we need to change our hearts and minds. Changing our hearts involves the deepest part of our being, and requires the help of the Holy Spirit. It also means that our goals must be in alignment with God’s will. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2.

Here are some great verses that I am praying over as my resolutions for 2019:

Live 10:27 – “He (Jesus) answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Taking my cue from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, I resolve to pray for and be more intentional about actually showing love to anyone In my path who needs help, whether friend, family, coworker, stranger, or actual neighbor. One of the tools I have found to help me pray for the people who live nearby by name is a website, BlessEveryHome. So many of you are role models for me because when you hear or see a need, you take action immediately. You really encourage me in this area.

Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us….” We are hearing lots of discussion about decluttering. Having lived in my house for more than 40 years, I am in serious need of getting rid of stuff. I spend way too much time making room, moving stuff around, cleaning stuff, fixing stuff. Realizing that dealing with excess stuff is getting in the way of time for ministry, I believe I will be more motivated to actually follow through. And I’m sure my kids will appreciate it, too (one day). Stuff is not the only thing that I need to get rid of. I also need to shed myself of any activities or habits that are not wholesome or do not lead to building up myself and those around me. And I need to be sure that every day I confess and repent of sins that otherwise will prevent me from running the race that God has marked out for me.

1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” I believe this verse applies to my entire being, and that I must treat my entire being—body and mind (heart)—with reverence. That means taking care of what I put into my body and mind, and properly exercising my body and mind. I want to be the best self I can be so that I can serve God as effectively as possible.

I believe that praying over these verses and using them for guidance will keep me aligned with God’s will; and along with praying for strength and endurance from the Holy Spirit, I believe that I will have the power to accomplish these things.

As we do life together here at the Mission, I challenge us to encourage each other and hold each other accountable as we seek to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Hope

Dec26

Hope is traditionally one of the themes of Advent. The season of Advent ended on Christmas Day, but I was led to write about hope on this day after Christmas. After all, isn’t hope really the point of the birth of Christ? In fulfilling the promise of the first Advent of our Savior, God demonstrates his love for us and promises us the second Advent during which Jesus will return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to reign in power and glory (Revelation 19:11-16).

 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

My real understanding of biblical hope came to me as a graduate student at seminary. Now I have always been in church and consider myself knowledgeable about the Bible. I accepted Christ as my Savior around my tenth birthday and have always had a relationship with Jesus. However, I admit that I have also been a child of my culture and not immune to teachings of nonbiblical writers. I became infatuated with worldly definitions of success, love, power, comfort, entertainment, and security.  The world view that is prevalent in our culture today denies the existence of absolute truth and good versus evil, and it encourages us to value worldly pleasures over the desire to please God.* These views have so infiltrated our thinking that they seem like truth—at least until really examined through the lens of the Scriptures. That is what Seminary did for me—it opened my eyes to the Truth. And here is the most important Truth that I learned (deep down I knew this, but I had really let the noise of current culture dilute it until it just wasn’t even obvious): Christ Is Our Only Hope in Life and Death.

In this context, hope is not “wishful thinking,” as in “I hope so.”  The hope we have in Christ is defined as “confident expectation.” When we say, “Christ is our only hope in life and death” we are not saying that maybe Christ is the answer to our problems. No! We are instead saying that we can confidently believe what Jesus tells us in John 14:6 when He says: “I am THE way and THE truth and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Hope is believing that Jesus is who he says he is and that he can do what he says he can do. Biblical hope is built on faith (Hebrews 11:1).

Words are not sufficient to convey to you how transfixed I was as I sat in class discussing this truth in the context of dealing actual counseling situations, especially when those situations reflected issues in my own life. I can’t tell you how broken-hearted I was as I realized how toxic the culture is that we live in, how Satan has made so much headway in our schools, our laws, our environment, and how convicted I felt that I had bought into so many of these lies. And I cannot express the joy and excitement and relief that flooded my soul as we read these Scriptures and I really heard these Scriptures expressing the hope we have in Christ. Any teaching or counseling that does not include this confident expectation is, well, hopeless. Subscribers to this “hopeless” teaching and counseling are hopeless victims.

I am convinced that through Christ, we can redefine what it means to be joyful, successful, and secure; and to know that true joy, success, and security come from “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

We know that Jesus not only authored our faith and through the gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to persevere and grow in our faith, He also seals our faith. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). This, my brothers, and sisters in Christ, is why we have hope. This is why our mission at Nashville Rescue Mission is “Hope for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, and Hope for Eternity.” This is why “Hope Lives Here” at Nashville Rescue Mission. This isn’t just a nice sentiment, it is literally why we exist.  Just like the old gospel hymn “Rescue the Perishing”, the mission of the Mission is to proclaim the hope we have in Christ and His power to save. Shelter, food, clothing, case management, and programs are a merely a means to that end.

In the first Chaplain’s Corner of Advent, I wrote about the Promise of a Savior. Then I wrote about the Peace and Joy that we have in knowing that Jesus is our Savior. Hope is what unites us with the Promise, and Peace and Joy are the resulting fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. My prayer for you, as we are ending 2018 and moving into 2019, is this: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (lyrics by Edward Mote)

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
And I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

In Christ,

Judy

*For more information on this topic, read: https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/

Chaplain’s Corner – Advent (Joy)

Dec19

Luke tells us about the birth of Jesus:  “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:8-12).

Joy—the angel says that he brings good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Just as we use the word “joy” often in our daily language, there are also many references to joy in the Bible. What is joy? Joy is a feeling, or emotion. Many things can give us joy–a good meal, a visit from a friend, reuniting with family, obedient children–you get the idea. Spending time with my grandchildren makes me especially joyful, as do flowers, a good book, and those Hallmark Christmas movies that always end “happily ever after.” However, all these things are fleeting. What if the next meal isn’t forthcoming or especially good, what if the friend doesn’t come back, what if after reuniting there is dysfunction, what if the children then disobey? Sometimes good things happen and we still can’t appreciate it or summon a feeling of joy. Sometimes we have to use some kind of artificial stimulant to bring the joy. I know myself that I can feel very joyful one day and not so much the next, even though my circumstances have not changed. The fact is that feelings, or emotions, are unstable. God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

So what is this good news that will cause great joy? We know that the good news is that “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” The long-promised Messiah has come. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)….”the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)….”has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” 2 Timothy 1:10.

This is the good news that causes great joy, joy that is not dependent upon the fickleness of our hearts or the actions of any earthly being or thing! When we rest the in the life-giving love and glory and majesty of Jesus and obey his commands, we are secure in the only thing that really matters.  Our joy is real and it is complete.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:1-4).

 During this season of Advent, let us proclaim to the world our joy for the gift of our Savior and the fact that our Savior reigns as the King of Kings and LORD of Lords.

I hope you will click on the link below—I promise you will be blessed by this rendition of one of my very favorite songs:

Lyrics to Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (words by Henry Van Dyke, music by Ludwig Van Beethoven)

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

In Christ,

Judy